U.S. Department of Transportation Seeks Public Comments on “Black Boxes” in all New Autos

William A. Estrada, Esq.
Director of Federal Relations

Will Estrada has been leading our efforts to defend homeschooling on Capitol Hill since 2006. As the oldest of eight kids, and a homeschool graduate who married a homeschool graduate, he has a passion for protecting homeschool freedom. Read more >>

Should the federal government mandate that all new autos have what is known as “black box” technology which will record information about the vehicle and driver? That is what will be required under a proposed regulation by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Transportation Safety Board (NHTSB).

Under the proposed rule, all automakers would be required to install event data recorders (EDRs) in all light passenger vehicles. These EDRs, commonly known as “black boxes,” are devices that collect specific safety-related data. You can read the NHTSB’s press release about the details of this proposed regulation online.

While many consumers may wish to have this technology in their car, others may have concerns about a potential loss of privacy from having these EDRs in their car. Unlike seat belts, EDRs do not prevent injuries in the event of an accident. Some consumers may not wish to have these recorders in their vehicles. Under this proposed regulation, however, the federal government will mandate that all new autos have these recorders.

If you have concerns about potential privacy violations as a result of this new federal mandate, you can submit a public comment about this proposed regulation online.

Please keep in mind that your comments will be public. The deadline to submit your comments is February 11, 2013.

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